See Mind-Bending New Paintings by the Cuban-Born Surrealist Painter Julio Larraz

Julio Larraz, Vespers at the Bay of Rainbows (2018). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

If you’re going to Miami for the fairs this December, it’s a sure bet that your proverbial dance card is already overcommitted. But if you happen to be passing through downtown, take a moment to pop into “Behind the Curtain of Dreams,” the third in a series of exhibitions by neo-figurative artist Julio Larraz at Ascaso Gallery.

Larraz, whose work is a playful mixup of influences including De Chirico, Hopper, and Magritte, is a Miami local. Born in Cuba in 1944, he came to the city in 1961, before traveling to New York to study with several significant illustrators.

Julio Larraz, Helen the Queen of Hearts at the People’s Republic of China (2019). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery

Julio Larraz, Helen the Queen of Hearts at the People’s Republic of China (2019). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

He found his footing in that industry, making drawings for the New York Times, Vogue, and the Washington Post, among other publications, before deciding to pursue painting in a full-time capacity. He subsequently returned to Miami, where he lives and works today.

His current exhibition, filled with dreamy and impossible landscapes, presents works that tackle the subjects for which he’s best known: figures, Surrealist visual metaphors, and the playful relationship between light and space. The show, no doubt, will provide a pleasant respite from art-fair hubbub. 

See images from “Behind the Curtain of Dreams” below.

Julio Larraz, Pie in the Sky (2019). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery

Julio Larraz, Pie in the Sky (2019). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

Julio Larraz, The Maritime Raid on Isla Falconera (2018). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery

Julio Larraz, The Maritime Raid on Isla Falconera (2018). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

Julio Larraz, Au Revoir (2014). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

Julio Larraz, Au Revoir (2014). Courtesy of Ascaso Gallery.

“Julio Larraz: Behind the Curtain of Dreams” is on view at Ascasco Gallery through January 31, 2020.